You get a knock on the door. A roofer driving by sees some damage and wants to take a look. Should you trust them? I have a warning about what dishonest roofers could try to pull on you.
Also this week:
- ‘DRAINED’ water pressure: I got a lot of emails about low water pressure issues around Houston. See what I found out from the city about why this is happening.
- Electricity bill hike: Another rate increase means your electricity bill may be more this month (even if your rate is locked in)!
Roofer warning: Watch out for an offer of free inspection
If you accept the free roof inspection from a fraudster often if they don’t find enough wear and tear to merit a whole new roof, they may fabricate it. They could tear off shingles to mimic wind damage (so pay attention and watch what they do). They may show you pictures of someone else’s damaged roof. [More often now roofers will use drone cameras to get a look at your roof.]
Another trick used is to get you to sign paperwork without explaining what it means.
Christian and Jennifer Hernandez from JC and C Roofing joined me for an episode of Ask Amy. Christian warned you to know what you are signing.
“Never sign a contingency agreement if you don’t know upfront what you are getting,” explains Christian Hernandez. “Make sure to check what the warranty that you’re going to get, the shingle that you’re going to get about the payment issue, about repairs or additional repairs that your roof may require. Make sure to have all that it before to before you get this stuck with the company.”
A contingency agreement says if the insurance company approves the claim you guarantee to hire that roofing company.
You should also know about a form called “assignment of benefits.” This agreement transfers the claim rights to a third party. This gives the assignee authority to file and negotiate a claim directly with the insurance company and allows the insurer to pay the roofer directly. Check here for several other red flags to look out for.
SEE MORE: Watch the full Ask Amy episode for more on what you should know before hiring a roofer.
Your electricity bill is going up again
Your electric bill may be even higher this month even if you don’t use more electricity. Centerpoint Energy just raised the rates that we all pay. I talked with David Kinchen at Energy Ogre about the annual charge that is going up this year - even if you are locked into a contract.
Watch my interview here:
Ask Amy: What is up with the low water pressure around town?
Some water customers in the City of Houston say when they turn on their water, they get only a trickle. Low water pressure is ‘DRAINING’ many of you from downtown to Garden Oaks to southwest Houston. I’m getting answers about what the city is doing about it.
Here’s what I found out: There are several factors that could be causing low water pressure in Houston. Mayor Sylvester Turner is blaming water leaks along with increased water usage and global warming on the low water pressure across the city. He says the city is hiring up to 12 outside contractors to help public works crews stop leaks and repair them.
Houston Public Works tells KPRC 2 Investigates right now they are working 500 active water main breaks. In a statement Houston Public Works explains the Drought Contingency Plan issued last month increases the number of contractors and city crews, increasing the overall capacity by about 20%.
“This will allow workers to repair more than 500 leaks a week until the system is restored to our target of less than 100 active leaks,” the statement reads.
See what else the city is doing about low water pressure. This is the latest in our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation into water issues in Houston.